Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-02

couple OF trains, lose uOZeu
passengers and be obliged to quit the road
for something over which I have no con-
troll whatever No man governs his own
fate, much less can he manage the destiny
of hundreds
The above words were spoken by an en-
gineer on fast express making up lost
time and running at a reckless rate to re-
cover the delay caused by a freight col
lision on the Lake Shore, near Elkhart
The engineer was on his way to Niagara
Falls, two weeks lay off for his summer
vacation. He was finely formed fe low,
under forty, with the short mustache and
smooth shaven, features usually seen
F among his fraternity-wearing the ruddy
look of open air exercise; his keen, hearty
manner, and bright, shrewd eyes, made
me an attentive listener. His words had
freshness about them that | always ad-
mire, while his des criptions were pict-
ures that experienced speakers might've
envy, aud felt from the start that his
history must be dense with incidents OF
real interest.
ssWhat are the great dangers" VEN
tured to ask, ''that you are most likely to
meet in your exposed position"
1.-The greatest danger Is fog,' he re-
nile a., cor a. long run which makes man
sleepy or forgetfuL" Throwing his cigar
through the window. he continued: Tin
winter we often run thirty, torty-eight
and sixty hours without full rest, and
one gets terribly sleepy about then.
Inever like sixty-in fact refuse-its
too dangerous. 1t never ought to be al
lowed by law. 1t causes plenty OF accl-
dents.n
He remained silent moment, and re-
marked: "What is the hardest run you
ever made-the most dangerousF
He smiled, looked upward, turned his
eyes as if looking back into the past and
said: 1.-THE very first run was the hard
est That's the way got my place as en- =
cineer. It was down on the sea coast,
fifty miles from Brunswick. Mr.. NJ
"a was to lecture at and failed to con-
meet till about six, and called on Hamlin,
our en- ineer Offering $50 and SIS extra to
run him down on an engine. Hamiln re-
- fused on account of the draw-brldges.
They had no headlights then and was too
full of brazen courage to be bluffed.
didn't realize danger, so 1 sand: lean &c
if you can't and we started. put on al
the steam dared to; we were to make
the fifty miles in an hour and quarter
to get my little SIS, he to fill an engage
ment. We fairly few over the line. he
looked ahead full of nerve and grew ex.
cited as race horse. The engine rocked
and Jared and seemed to skip the bridges
and culverts like ball of fire in the wind
The faster we went the more excited he
grew, saying: Letter on! Letter onl
must get therep and he did get there.
can't describe tit was like run in {
hurricane.
ssNot long after that had my engine OF
short line with train of ten freigh
cars to carry down a steep grade one hun
dred and nineteen feet to the mile 1
was slippery, and we had on long lumber
which covered the brakes so that no one
could turn them. It was down that steer
grade near Dandy, N. H. I knew the
wheels were sliding and reversed steam
and signaled ION brakes but i
had no more effect to halt thu
train than a shingle would to blocl
an engine under full Roadway. We mus
have gone at a rate of seventy miles al
hour, when 1 heard the whistle of thu
gravel train due on the same time on the
same track, ten miles below, ready t.
switch and go up grade-I saw her turf
the bend and begin the grade-my hear
came to my throat-but they must hav
seen me, for they slipped on the switcl
like lightning, just when 1 could hav
picked my heart out of my throat witt
NV fingers, and we passed her by hair
breadth. and no one was in ured. said
was luck-pve always thought so-Fm
great believer in luck anyway"
knew he had plenty more experience
. modestly kept back, and so ventured t
draw again on his memory in this way:
ssWhat is the worst accident you hav
ever scent"
1.-THE worst case" he answered, IVA
Young Brescomb, near Freeport- Iney ma
no air brakes then. A tender wheel orok
and threw the cars up on end. They wer
of the old box car kind and no bumper:
The end of both cars mashed and caugh
Brescomb the brakeman, just above IN
aukleand hunghim up six feet hlgh, hea
downward swinging by his broken leg,p
awful agony. It was terrible sign
There was a doctor on board, but ne na
no instruments except q small lancet :"
tried to saw the timbers and lee the 90
down. We blocked him up SO the oIoo
would keep from his head as muca as pc.
sible The doctor told me aside that quo
work alone might save him, ana gave n
charge of holding the poor fellow Wnl
he cut the flesh and sawed on the DOE
- not broken, and we got MIN down Oh
saved him. ,3a.'r ~ - /,
s.But 1 shall never forget the look
gave me when the doctor was SAVING WI
that rusty old saw, and saving mas NE
sheer courage. Inever think OF an acc
dent without seeing Brescomo nan
ing in the air. Il could see the tea
come rolling down silently, and nao
chan ge the subject, for I knew was
sacred ground.
s.Now tell me the best thing, the 1ucs
est accident, you have seen." reQueste
and this is the way he answered: